Uncoupling device for cars.



N0."7s5,2s,2. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

' B. 0. HUTSELL UNGOUPLING DEVICE FOR CARS.

APPLICATION IILBD JAN. 21, 1903.

NO MODEL.

Patented August .,.1903'.

ATENT. OFFICE.

ERNEST OLAND HUTSELL, OF ATHENS, TENNESSEE.

UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 735,262, dated Augustl, 1903. Application filed January 21, 1903 $erial No.139,989. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST OLAND HUT- SELL, a citizen'of the UnitedStates, residing and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully at Athens,in thecountyof McMinn and State of Tennessee, haveinvented a new anduseful Uncoupling Device for Cars, of which the "following is aspecification.

The invention relates to improvementsin mechanism for uncoupling cars.The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofuncoupling devices for railway-cars and to provide a simple, in-

expensive, and efficient construction adapted to be readily applied to acar and capable of enabling the parts to be readily set for uncouplingwhile the draft mechanism is under tension, whereby when the cars stopor ihe strain is otherwise removed from the draft mechanism theoperation of uncoupling will beautomatically effected, thereby obviatingthe necessity of a train-hand running along the side of acar and holdingthe uncoupling-lever or other element until the car-coupling is free touncouple.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novelconstruction described, illustrated. in the accompanying drawings, andparticularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it beingunderstood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details ofconstruction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of theinvention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an uncoupling deviceconstructed in accordance with the invention shown applied to a car.Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view illustrating the manner of monntin gand housing the spring.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in ings.

1 designates a transversely-oscillating rockshaft journaled in asuitable bearing 2 at one side of the center of the end sill of a car 3and provided with inner and outer arms 4 both figures of the draw of aplateprovided with a cylindrical bearing portion and bolted or otherwisesecured chain 10 with the locking-pin 6, whereby when the rock-shaftisswung backward or outward from the position illustrated in Fig; 1 of thedrawings the locking-pin will be-Lraised to effect the operation ofuncoupling. "When the locking-pin is in engagement with the arm of theknuckle of the car-coupling, the rockshaft is inclined upward andinward, and an outward movement of the rock-shaft lifts the locking-pin.

The inner arm at of the rock-shaft is yieldably connected with anoperating-lever 11 to permit the latter to be swung outward from theposition illustrated in Fig. 1, and the said operating-lever, whichcarries a springactuated dog or detent 12, is adapted to be locked whenswung outward, whereby when the locking-pin 6 is free to move it will belifted by the yielda'ble connection between yieldable connectionconsists of links or rods 14. and 15 and a spring 16, arranged within acylindrical casing or housing 17, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of thedrawings. The spring, which is coiled, is disposed on the rod 15 and isinterposed between a head 18 and one end 19 of the casing or housing 17.The casing is provided at the end 19 with a perforation for the passageof the rod or link, and its other end is open. The head 18 is detachablysecured to the inner end of the rod or link 15 by screw-threads or othersuitable means. The open end of the casing or housing is interiorlythreaded to receive an enlarged end or head 20 of the link 14., which ispivoted to the inner arm 4. By this construction the operating-lever isadapted to move independ: ently of the locking-pin when the draftmechanism is under tension, and as'soon as the strain on thecar-coupling is removed .incident to stopping, backing, or the like .the

yieldable connection will swing the lockingpin upward automatically,thereby effecting the operation of uncoupling to permit the therock-shaft and the operating-lever: This cars to separate.

This obviates the necessity of a train-hand running along the side of acar and holding a lever or other part until the locking-pin of theear-coupling is free to lower end between perforated ears 21 of a plate,which is bolted or otherwise secured to the upper face of the end sillof the car. The upper portion of the operating-lever is arranged withina curved ratchet or guide 22, composed of inner and outer sides andprovided near its ends with inner and outer notches 23 and 24. Thespring-actuated dog or detent 12 is operated by a latch-lever 25 andengages the inner notches or recesses 23 when the cars are coupled toprevent the opcrating-lever from being accidentally thrown outward, whenthe cars are in motion. The dog is adapted to engage the outer notches24 to lock the operating-lever in position for automatically uncouplingthe cars when the locking-pin is free to move. The curved side pieces ofthe ratchet or guide for the operating-lever are spaced apart bysuitable blocks and are bolted or otherwise secured to the car, asclearly shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that the uncoupling device is exceedingly simple andinexpensive in construction, that it is adapted to be readily applied toany ordinary railroad-car, and that it is capable of operating variouskinds of carcouplings. It will also be apparent that it is adapted to beset for uncoupling while the draft mechanism of the cars is undertension and when the locking-pin is held fast in its engaging positionand that it will automatically lift the locking-pin and uncouple thecars as soon as the strain is removed from the car-coupling by backingthe cars or the like.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combinationof a transversely oscillating rock-shaft designed to be mounted on a carand provided with inner and outer arms, the outer arm being providedwith means for connecting it with a car-coupling, an operatingleverarranged in an upright position and adapted to swing inward and outward,means for looking it in either position, a spring, and connectionsbetween the spring,the rock-shaf t and the lever, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a transverselyoscillating rock-shaft designed to be mounted on a car and provided withinner and outer arms arranged approximately parallel, the outer armbeing provided with means for connecting it with a car-coupling, anoperating-lever fulcrumed in-an upright position and arranged to swinginward and outward, a yieldable connection between the operating-leverand the inner arm of the rock-shaft, and means for locking therock-shaft in either position, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of -atransversely oscillating rock-shaft having inner and outer arms anddesigned to be mounted on a car, the outer arm being provided with meansfor connecting it with a car-coupling, a transverselyoscillatingoperating-lever, a yieldable connection between the lever and the innerarm of the rock-shaft, and means for locking the operating-lever whenthe same is swung outward, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a transverselyoscillating rock-shaft having approximately parallel inner and outerarms, the outer arm being provided with a curved extension, means forconnecting the curved extension with a car-coupling, an uprightoscillatory lever,a curved ratchet receiving the lever, means mounted onthe lever for engaging the ratchet, and a yieldable connection betweenthe lever and the inner arm of the rock-shaft, said yieldable connectioncomprising a pair of links or rods, a coiled spring, and a casing orhousing receiving the coiled spring, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST OLAND HUTSELL.

Witnesses:

0.0. LANE, W. T. GUTHREY.

